The fragile frosted forms of his first EP have been bolstered by new techniques and styles. Not only has Raderkraft refined his musical message, he has also broadened his audio palette. Undoubtedly emboldened by what can only be described as a herculean touring schedule, Smart Control is a crafted achievement from an artist who is honing his admirable craft.
In 2016 Raderkraft founded Testlab Records, its first release a slab of cold electronics with a wave edge from his own hand. Willem Stinissen returns to the shelves of respectable record stores, this time on Belgium’s Die Blinden with Smart Control.
Although the genetics of this latest quartet follows a similar line to Keine Richtung, there have been some obvious changes from that earlier sound. The title piece is an excellent example of this. Toeing the lines between proto-Kraftwerkian electro and future gazing wave, the track adopts stuttering number samples, icy cool synth-lines and broad sweeping keys to leave nothing but a sense of awe and a pretty broad smile. Simply sublime. “Sonne” is quite a cheery work. Playful keyboard work is intertwined by heavily vocodered lyrics and crisp beats in this fresh cut of robotic funk. “Hinter Den Bergen” is a more subdued affair. An understated melody skates on a frigid floor of hi-hats and gentle beats while words circle and fade. The speeding “Du Bist Meine” races to the finish line. Drum patterns spike in at 140 bpm as Raderkraft pours energy into a two-stepping, shoegazing, high impact curtain fall. Guttural vocals split and slice notes that spike, stab and swirl against a pulsing metronomic beat.
There has been a pronounced development Stinissen’s sound. The fragile frosted forms of his first EP have been bolstered by new techniques and styles. Not only has Raderkraft refined his musical message, he has also broadened his audio palette. Undoubtedly emboldened by what can only be described as a herculean touring schedule, Smart Control is a crafted achievement from an artist who is honing his admirable craft.
Smart Control is available on Die Blinden.
